3Digest: September 2006

Monthly drivers report and popular 3D
accelerators comparison

Monthy 3Digest is the project of iXBT.com and Digit-Life.com dedicated to informing you about the performance of a large number of graphics cards under Windows XP in the past month.

This issue is dedicated to drivers released from August 15, 2006 to September 15, 2006. Traditionally our 3Digest informs you about the best price/performance ratios available in the market. Another very important part of any issue is cards' 3D graphics quality shown on the example of a wide selection of games.

The usability rating indicates performance and features of
a card (numerator) related to its price (denominator).

According to your wishes, we separated ratings into two
groups: the first gathers all benchmarks, and the second contains
only the gaming tests without m3DMark05/06. Disbelieving the synthetic
tests, many think the second group is of higher importance.

Athlon 64 X2 5000+ platform:

Usability rating (rating from the previous 3Digest is
in parentheses):

GAMING ONLY usability rating

#

Card

Usability Rating

Prospect Rating

Price

Old #

01.

7300 GT 256MB, 500/1400

3185

694

120

(01)

02.

7900 GS 256MB, 450/1320

2802

908

223

(--)

03.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

2793

634

113

(03)

04.

7900 GS 256MB, 480/1400

2780

937

240

(--)

05.

7300 GT 256MB, 350/666

2765

542

85

(04)

06.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

2728

798

179

(02)

08.

7900 GS 256MB, 540/1500

2572

978

280

(--)

09.

6600 DDR2 256MB 350/800

2485

498

79

(13)

10.

7600 GS 512MB, 550/950

2472

709

160

(--)

11.

6800 XT 256MB 425/1000

2464

633

125

(06)

12.

X1900 GT 256MB 575/1200

2426

890

255

(10)

13.

6800 GS 256MB 425/1000

2395

714

162

(05)

14.

7900 GT 256MB, 450/1320

2348

948

290

(08)

16.

X1800 GTO 256MB 500/1000

2201

796

225

(18)

17.

X1300 XT 256MB 500/800

2188

537

107

(09)

18.

7950 GT 512MB 550/1400

2179

1013

350

(--)

19.

X1900 XT 512MB, 625/1450

2162

1049

383

(14)

20.

X1650 PRO 256MB 590/1380

2140

626

146

(07)

21.

7900 GTX 512MB, 650/1600

2019

1068

415

(16)

22.

X1800 XL 256MB 500/1000

1978

874

300

(15)

23.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

1962

465

91

(11)

24.

6800 GT 256MB 350/1000

1908

717

205

(12)

25.

X1800 XT 512MB 625/1500

1900

983

389

(17)

26.

X1900 XTX 512MB, 650/1550

1828

1070

468

(19)

27.

7800 GTX 256MB, 430/1200

1658

929

395

(20)

28.

7800 GTX 512MB, 550/1700

1602

1047

504

(24)

29.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

1586

382

77

(22)

30.

BFG 7950GX2 2x512MB, 500/1200

1539

1175

640

(21)

31.

X1900 XT 256MB, 625/1450

1530

853

360

(--)

32.

X1950 XTX 512MB, 650/2000

1481

1096

600

(25)

33.

X1300 512MB, 450/500

1322

401

101

(23)

34.

7900 GTX SLI 2x512MB, 650/1600

1318

1244

830

(26)

35.

7950GX2 SLI 2x2x512MB, 500/1200

833

1234

1280

(27)

GENERAL usability rating

#

Card

Usability Rating

Prospect Rating

Price

Old #

02.

X1900 XT 512MB, 625/1450

2355

1530

383

(04)

03.

X1900 GT 256MB 575/1200

2150

1183

255

(03)

05.

X1900 XTX 512MB, 650/1550

2002

1562

468

(07)

06.

X1300 XT 256MB 500/800

1978

726

107

(02)

07.

X1800 XT 512MB 625/1500

1918

1384

389

(09)

08.

X1650 PRO 256MB 590/1380

1913

837

146

(01)

09.

7300 GT 256MB, 500/1400

1863

749

120

(05)

10.

X1800 GTO 256MB 500/1000

1821

1020

225

(12)

11.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

1722

621

91

(06)

12.

7300 GT 256MB, 350/666

1706

602

85

(13)

13.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

1700

694

113

(08)

14.

7900 GS 256MB, 450/1320

1659

978

223

(--)

15.

X1950 XTX 512MB, 650/2000

1634

1602

600

(14)

16.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

1632

865

179

(10)

17.

X1800 XL 256MB 500/1000

1596

1106

300

(11)

18.

7600 GS 512MB, 550/950

1542

790

160

(--)

19.

7900 GS 256MB, 540/1500

1531

1053

280

(--)

20.

7900 GS 256MB, 480/1400

1517

969

240

(--)

21.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

1407

512

77

(17)

22.

6800 XT 256MB 425/1000

1404

676

125

(19)

23.

7900 GT 256MB, 450/1320

1384

1020

290

(18)

24.

7900 GTX 512MB, 650/1600

1383

1225

415

(20)

25.

6800 GS 256MB 425/1000

1381

761

162

(15)

26.

X1300 512MB, 450/500

1379

581

101

(16)

27.

6600 DDR2 256MB 350/800

1375

530

79

(24)

28.

7950 GT 512MB 550/1400

1348

1108

350

(--)

29.

X1900 XT 256MB, 625/1450

1344

1119

360

(--)

30.

BFG 7950GX2 2x512MB, 500/1200

1118

1386

640

(21)

31.

6800 GT 256MB 350/1000

1069

753

205

(22)

32.

7800 GTX 512MB, 550/1700

1068

1186

504

(25)

33.

7800 GTX 256MB, 430/1200

991

1005

395

(23)

34.

7900 GTX SLI 2x512MB, 650/1600

977

1481

830

(26)

35.

7950GX2 SLI 2x2x512MB, 500/1200

587

1425

1280

(27)

Prospect rating (the previous rating is in parenthesis):

GAMING ONLY prospect rating

#

Card

Usability Rating

Prospect Rating

Price

Old #

01.

7900 GTX SLI 2x512MB, 650/1600

1318

1244

830

(02)

02.

7950GX2 SLI 2x2x512MB, 500/1200

833

1234

1280

(01)

03.

BFG 7950GX2 2x512MB, 500/1200

1539

1175

640

(03)

04.

X1950 XTX 512MB, 650/2000

1481

1096

600

(04)

05.

X1900 XTX 512MB, 650/1550

1828

1070

468

(05)

06.

7900 GTX 512MB, 650/1600

2019

1068

415

(06)

07.

X1900 XT 512MB, 625/1450

2162

1049

383

(07)

08.

7800 GTX 512MB, 550/1700

1602

1047

504

(08)

09.

7950 GT 512MB 550/1400

2179

1013

350

(--)

10.

X1800 XT 512MB 625/1500

1900

983

389

(09)

11.

7900 GS 256MB, 540/1500

2572

978

280

(--)

12.

7900 GT 256MB, 450/1320

2348

948

290

(10)

14.

7900 GS 256MB, 480/1400

2780

937

240

(--)

15.

7800 GTX 256MB, 430/1200

1658

929

395

(11)

16.

7900 GS 256MB, 450/1320

2802

908

223

(--)

17.

X1900 GT 256MB 575/1200

2426

890

255

(12)

18.

X1800 XL 256MB 500/1000

1978

874

300

(13)

19.

X1900 XT 256MB, 625/1450

1530

853

360

(--)

20.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

2728

798

179

(14)

21.

X1800 GTO 256MB 500/1000

2201

796

225

(15)

23.

6800 GT 256MB 350/1000

1908

717

205

(16)

24.

6800 GS 256MB 425/1000

2395

714

162

(17)

25.

7600 GS 512MB, 550/950

2472

709

160

(--)

26.

7300 GT 256MB, 500/1400

3185

694

120

(18)

27.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

2793

634

113

(19)

28.

6800 XT 256MB 425/1000

2464

633

125

(20)

29.

X1650 PRO 256MB 590/1380

2140

626

146

(21)

30.

7300 GT 256MB, 350/666

2765

542

85

(23)

31.

X1300 XT 256MB 500/800

2188

537

107

(22)

32.

6600 DDR2 256MB 350/800

2485

498

79

(24)

33.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

1962

465

91

(25)

34.

X1300 512MB, 450/500

1322

401

101

(26)

35.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

1586

382

77

(27)

GENERAL prospect rating

#

Card

Usability Rating

Prospect Rating

Price

Old #

01.

X1950 XTX 512MB, 650/2000

1634

1602

600

(01)

02.

X1900 XTX 512MB, 650/1550

2002

1562

468

(02)

03.

X1900 XT 512MB, 625/1450

2355

1530

383

(03)

04.

7900 GTX SLI 2x512MB, 650/1600

977

1481

830

(05)

05.

7950GX2 SLI 2x2x512MB, 500/1200

587

1425

1280

(04)

06.

BFG 7950GX2 2x512MB, 500/1200

1118

1386

640

(06)

07.

X1800 XT 512MB 625/1500

1918

1384

389

(07)

09.

7900 GTX 512MB, 650/1600

1383

1225

415

(09)

10.

7800 GTX 512MB, 550/1700

1068

1186

504

(10)

11.

X1900 GT 256MB 575/1200

2150

1183

255

(08)

12.

X1900 XT 256MB, 625/1450

1344

1119

360

(--)

13.

7950 GT 512MB 550/1400

1348

1108

350

(--)

14.

X1800 XL 256MB 500/1000

1596

1106

300

(11)

15.

7900 GS 256MB, 540/1500

1531

1053

280

(--)

16.

X1800 GTO 256MB 500/1000

1821

1020

225

(12)

17.

7900 GT 256MB, 450/1320

1384

1020

290

(13)

19.

7800 GTX 256MB, 430/1200

991

1005

395

(14)

20.

7900 GS 256MB, 450/1320

1659

978

223

(--)

21.

7900 GS 256MB, 480/1400

1517

969

240

(--)

22.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

1632

865

179

(15)

23.

X1650 PRO 256MB 590/1380

1913

837

146

(16)

24.

7600 GS 512MB, 550/950

1542

790

160

(--)

25.

6800 GS 256MB 425/1000

1381

761

162

(17)

26.

6800 GT 256MB 350/1000

1069

753

205

(18)

27.

7300 GT 256MB, 500/1400

1863

749

120

(20)

28.

X1300 XT 256MB 500/800

1978

726

107

(19)

29.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

1700

694

113

(21)

30.

6800 XT 256MB 425/1000

1404

676

125

(22)

31.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

1722

621

91

(23)

32.

7300 GT 256MB, 350/666

1706

602

85

(24)

33.

X1300 512MB, 450/500

1379

581

101

(25)

34.

6600 DDR2 256MB 350/800

1375

530

79

(27)

35.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

1407

512

77

(26)

Ingame quality

6. Games screenshot gallery

All test screenshots are compiled into a gallery where you can
qualify the work of a chosen videocard. All shots were taken at
the same 1024x768 resolution at the maximum quality. Screenshot
gallery